President Trump has restricted foreign student visas at Harvard University, an action that takes place amid an ongoing battle between the Trump administration and the Ivy League school.
“Admission into the United States to attend, conduct research, or teach at our Nation’s institutions of higher education is a privilege granted by our Government, not a guarantee,” Trump said in a Wednesday proclamation restricting the visas.
“That privilege is necessarily tied to the host institution’s compliance and commitment to following Federal law. Harvard University has failed in this respect, among many others,” the president added.
According to a White House fact sheet, new Harvard students cannot come into the U.S. via three types of visas as nonimmigrants.
According to a White House fact sheet, new Harvard students cannot come into the U.S. via three types of visas as nonimmigrants and Secretary of State Marco Rubio is ordered to look into the revoking of visas of current international students due to the proclamation.
Earlier this week, Harvard moved for a conclusive decision from a federal judge to unfreeze close to $2.5 billion in federal funds that Trump’s administration pulled from the school. The university filed a request for summary judgment, meaning the judge would make a decision and there would be no full trial.
“The necessity of an injunction is demonstrated by the Government’s continued attempt to punish Harvard’s during the pendency of this case by whatever mechanisms it can,” Harvard’s lawyers wrote in the previous filing.
In recent months, the Trump administration has targeted multiple higher education institutions over alleged inaction over campus antisemitism and policies around transgender athletes.
“Crime rates at Harvard University including violent crime rates have drastically risen in recent years,” Trump said in his Wednesday proclamation.
“Harvard has failed to discipline at least some categories of conduct violations on campus,” he added. “Given these facts, it is imperative, in my judgment, that the Federal Government be able to assess and, if necessary, address misconduct and crimes committed by foreign students at Harvard.”
“This is yet another illegal retaliatory step taken by the Administration in violation of Harvard’s First Amendment rights. Harvard will continue to protect its international students,” a spokesperson for Harvard said in an email to The Hill on Wednesday.
Updated at 10:18 p.m. EDT
